US20110094881A1 - Sensor cartridge and measuring device - Google Patents
Sensor cartridge and measuring device Download PDFInfo
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- US20110094881A1 US20110094881A1 US12/910,685 US91068510A US2011094881A1 US 20110094881 A1 US20110094881 A1 US 20110094881A1 US 91068510 A US91068510 A US 91068510A US 2011094881 A1 US2011094881 A1 US 2011094881A1
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- sensor
- casing
- electrode
- preset location
- sensor cartridge
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/145—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
- G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
- G01N33/483—Physical analysis of biological material
- G01N33/487—Physical analysis of biological material of liquid biological material
- G01N33/4875—Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method
- G01N33/48757—Test elements dispensed from a stack
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
- G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
- G01N33/483—Physical analysis of biological material
- G01N33/487—Physical analysis of biological material of liquid biological material
- G01N33/4875—Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/145—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue
- A61B5/1455—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
- A61B5/14551—Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissue using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters for measuring blood gases
- A61B5/14552—Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/15—Devices for taking samples of blood
- A61B5/151—Devices specially adapted for taking samples of capillary blood, e.g. by lancets, needles or blades
- A61B5/15146—Devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously, e.g. for serial firing without reloading, for example by use of stocking means.
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/15—Devices for taking samples of blood
- A61B5/157—Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/28—Electrolytic cell components
- G01N27/30—Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells
- G01N27/327—Biochemical electrodes, e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
- G01N27/3271—Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/28—Electrolytic cell components
- G01N27/30—Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells
- G01N27/327—Biochemical electrodes, e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
- G01N27/3271—Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood
- G01N27/3272—Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
- G01N27/28—Electrolytic cell components
- G01N27/30—Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells
- G01N27/327—Biochemical electrodes, e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
- G01N27/3271—Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood
- G01N27/3273—Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
- G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
- G01N33/50—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing
- G01N33/53—Immunoassay; Biospecific binding assay; Materials therefor
- G01N33/543—Immunoassay; Biospecific binding assay; Materials therefor with an insoluble carrier for immobilising immunochemicals
- G01N33/54366—Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
- G01N33/54373—Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings
- G01N33/5438—Electrodes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B2562/00—Details of sensors; Constructional details of sensor housings or probes; Accessories for sensors
- A61B2562/02—Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
- A61B2562/0295—Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a sensor cartridge for housing a sensor that is used for acquisition of living body numerical information, and a measuring device including such a sensor cartridge.
- biosensors are used in order to measure living body numerical information such as a blood glucose level.
- a biosensor is a single-use device, and is set in a measuring device each time measurement is performed. After completion of measurement, the biosensor is then discarded together with a sample that has been measured. At the time of the next measurement, the user sets a new biosensor in the measuring device.
- biosensors are classified into biosensors using an electrochemical measurement method and biosensors using a colorimetric measurement method.
- the biosensors using an electrochemical measurement method ordinarily include an inlet for introducing a sample into the biosensors and two or more electrodes. A sample introduced from the inlet is transferred to a position where the sample comes into contact with these electrodes, using capillary action or the like.
- the electrodes are electrically connected to connection terminals provided on the outer surface of the biosensor. Because of this configuration, it is necessary for the user to bring the connection terminals of the biosensor into contact with the corresponding terminals of the measuring device in a reliable manner, at the time of setting the biosensor in the measuring device.
- JP H10-253570A, JP 2001-281199A, and JP 2003-215086A disclose sensor cartridges that function as a sensor feeding device for successively supplying biosensors to a measuring device. Furthermore, a large number of biosensors are formed in the shape of a plate, and have been housed in advance in a stacked state in a container constituting the sensor cartridge. Additionally, the sensor cartridge housing the biosensors is attached within the casing of a measuring device.
- the biosensors housed in the sensor cartridge are pushed out one by one by an arm provided within the measuring device, and the biosensor that has been pushed out is placed in a measurement position. Further, once the biosensor has been placed in the measurement position, electrodes provided within the measurement apparatus are moved to terminals of the biosensor and are connected to the terminals, bringing about a state where a sample can be measured. Thereafter, a sample is supplied into the biosensor, and measurement is carried out. The measured living body information is displayed on a display screen of the measuring device.
- JP 2510702Y discloses a sensor cartridge that has the function of successively supplying biosensors, and that is configured to function as a measuring device on its own, not just as a feeding device.
- the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y is internally provided with a plurality of biosensors that are arranged in series, and only the biosensor at the head is exposed from the casing of the sensor cartridge.
- the sensor cartridge is connected to an external measurement apparatus via a distribution cable.
- the data acquired with that biosensor is sent to the external measurement apparatus via the cable.
- the user manipulates a slider that is provided in the sensor cartridge to push the used biosensor out, and then discards the biosensor. This slider manipulation also brings about a state in which a new biosensor has been set.
- the measuring device disclosed in JP H10-253570A, JP 2001-281199A, or JP 2003-215086A is required to have complex mechanisms such as a mechanism for delivering biosensors contained in the sensor cartridge and a mechanism for connecting the electrodes of the measuring device to the connection terminals of the biosensors. Therefore, the measuring devices disclosed in these documents have the problem of high manufacturing costs. The measuring devices also have a problem in that they are susceptible to failure due to their complex mechanisms.
- the positioning of the arm or the like may become inaccurate due to degraded parts, the environment of usage, a bug in the control software, and the like. If the positioning becomes inaccurate, there may be cases when the measurement error becomes large, or measurement is impossible, resulting in the problem of not being able to perform stable measurements.
- biosensors are expected to be more compact in the future, and the required positioning accuracy will increase accordingly. Therefore, it is thought that the above-described problem of not being able to perform stable measurements will become even more significant with the size reduction of biosensors.
- the mechanism of delivering the biosensors and the mechanism for connecting the connection terminals of the biosensor and the connectors of the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y are both simple. Accordingly, it is thought that the problems of high manufacturing costs, of susceptibility to failure, and of being not able to perform measurement stable can be solved by using the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y.
- An example of the object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and provide a sensor cartridge that can prevent the structure of a measuring device from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in the measurement stability, while improving the handleability of sensors, and a measuring device including such sensor cartridge.
- a sensor cartridge for supplying a sensor, including: a casing within which the plurality of sensors can be arranged and that allows a sample to be introduced to a sensor located at a preset location; and a connection structure that electrically connects an external device and a sensor electrode included in the sensor located at the preset location, wherein the casing is formed so as to be held by the device when the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure.
- the sensor electrode electrically connectable to the external device (e.g., the device body or the like of the measuring device, which will be described later) while the sensor is housed in the casing of the sensor cartridge, and also to allow a sample to be introduced into the sensor.
- the sensor cartridge is configured so as to be able to be held by the device. From these respects, it is possible to perform measurement of living body information using the sensor by simply attaching the sensor cartridge to the device, thus improving the handleability for the user.
- it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out it is also possible to perform stable measurements.
- the casing is configured such that the plurality of sensors can be arranged in a line, and the connection structure electrically connects the device and the sensor electrode included in a sensor located at the head of the line. In this case, it is possible to simply the structure of the casing.
- the casing is configured to allow the plurality of sensors to be arranged in a stacking direction, and to allow the sample to be introduced to a sensor located at the top or at the bottom, and the connection structure electrically connects the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the top or at the bottom. In this case, it is possible to increase the efficiency in housing the sensors within the casing.
- a member that presses the sensor located at the preset location is provided within the casing such that the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location is pressed against part of the connection structure. According to this mode, it is possible to establish a solid connection between the sensor electrode and the connection structure, thus improving the connection stability.
- connection structure includes wiring provided on an outer surface of the casing, and the wiring is connected to the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location. According to this mode, the connection structure can be realized with a simple configuration, and therefore it is possible to further reduce the manufacturing costs for the sensor cartridge.
- connection structure includes a conduction path penetrating through a wall of the casing, and is connected via the conduction path to the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location. According to this mode, it is possible to shorten the wiring distance in the connection structure and reduce the wiring resistance, and therefore it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy.
- the connection structure includes, within the casing, an electrode that comes into contact with the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location, and an electrode for being connected to the device. According to this mode, it is possible to facilitate a further size reduction for the sensor cartridge. Furthermore, according to this mode, it is particularly preferable that one or both of the electrode that comes into contact with the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location and the electrode for being connected to the device are configured to be elastically deformable by pressure. In this case, a solid connection is established by using an elastic force, and therefore it is possible to improve the connection stability.
- the sensor cartridge further includes a delivery mechanism, and the delivery mechanism discharges the sensor located at the preset location, and causes a sensor placed adjacent to the discharged sensor to be located at the preset location. According to this mode, it is possible to easily discharge a used sensor and set a new sensor in a simple manner, thus further improving the handleability for the user.
- the casing may include a sheet member on a principal surface of which the plurality of sensors can be placed, and the delivery mechanism may cause the sensor placed adjacent to the discharged sensor to be located at the preset location by moving the sheet member.
- the above-described sensor cartridge of the invention further includes, within the casing, an information presentation portion that presents information relating to the plurality of sensors housed in the casing.
- An example of the information relating to the sensors is information indicating a calibration curve suited for the sensors.
- the device can easily specify an appropriate calibration curve, and therefore it is possible, according to the above mode, to improve the measurement accuracy and shorten the measurement time.
- the casing is formed so as to be able to house at least part of the device when the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure.
- the casing is formed such that at least part of the casing is housed within the device when the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure.
- the casing in another mode of the invention, includes an opening that allows the sample to be introduced to the sensor located at the preset location.
- a measuring device for measuring living body numerical information by using a sensor, including: a sensor cartridge that supplies the sensor; and a device body that holds the sensor cartridge, wherein the sensor cartridge includes: a casing within which the plurality of sensors can be arranged, and that allows a sample to be introduced to a sensor located at a preset location; and a connection structure that electrically connects the device body and a sensor electrode included in the sensor located at the preset location, the casing is formed so as to be held by the device body when the device body and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure, and the device body includes an electrode that comes into contact with part of the connection structure when the device body holds the sensor cartridge.
- the structure of the measuring device from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in stability of the measurement, while improving the handleability of sensors.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 shows a state in which the sensor shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is housed in the sensor cartridge.
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the sensor cartridge and a measuring device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the measuring device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according to Embodiment 3 of the invention.
- FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the invention.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
- FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of an example of the sensor used in Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 2B is an assembly diagram showing the sensor in FIG. 2A .
- FIG. 3 shows a state in which the sensor shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is housed in the sensor cartridge.
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the sensor cartridge and the measuring device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the measuring device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a delivery mechanism provided in the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- the sensor cartridge 10 shown in FIG. 1 according to Embodiment 1 is a cartridge used for supplying a sensor 1 to a measuring device (see FIG. 4 ). As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the sensor 1 includes sensor electrodes 5 and 6 , and a sample inlet 4 .
- the measuring device 30 shown in FIG. 5 according to Embodiment 1 is a device that measures living body numerical information by using the sensor 1 .
- the measuring device 30 is, for example, a glucose meter, a lactate meter, a ketone body measuring device, a lipid measuring device, or the like.
- the sensor cartridge 10 includes a casing 11 (see FIG. 3 ) within which a plurality of sensors 1 can be arranged, and a connection structure.
- the casing 11 is formed so as to allow a sample to be introduced into a sensor located at a preset location.
- the casing 11 includes an opening 16 for exposing an sample inlet 4 of the sensor 1 located at a preset location, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 .
- connection structure electrically connects an external device and the sensor electrodes (see FIGS. 2A and 2B and 3 ) of the sensor located at a preset location within the sensor cartridge 10 .
- the external device is a device body 31 (see FIG. 5 ) of the measuring device 30 .
- the connection structure includes wiring 12 provided on the outer surface of the casing 11 , internal electrodes 13 (see FIG. 4 ) provided within the casing 11 , and wiring 14 and 15 that connect the wiring 12 and the internal electrodes 13 .
- the internal electrodes 13 are placed so as to come into contact with the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 (in FIG. 4 , the electrode 5 is not shown) of the sensor 1 located at a preset location.
- the internal electrodes 13 are electrically connected to the wiring 12 via the wiring 15 and 14 .
- an internal electrode 13 that comes into contact with the sensor electrode 5 as well is actually provided.
- Embodiment 1 as shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of sensors 1 are arranged in a line, and the preset location is set to the head of the line. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 , the internal electrodes 13 are placed so as to come into contact with the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 of the sensor 1 located at the head of the line.
- the measuring device 30 includes the sensor cartridge 10 and the device body 31 that holds the sensor cartridge 10 .
- the device body 31 holds the sensor cartridge 10 such that the opening 16 provided in the casing 11 of the sensor cartridge 10 is exposed to the outside of the device body 31 .
- the device body 31 is internally provided with electrodes 32 and 33 .
- the electrode 32 is placed so as to come into contact with the wiring 12 of the sensor cartridge 10 when the device body 31 holds the sensor cartridge 10 .
- the electrode 33 will be described later.
- the sensor cartridge 10 is shown in cross section, whereas only part of the device body 31 is shown in cross section for the measuring device 30 .
- the device body 31 is provided with a display screen 34 for displaying a measurement result and an operation button 35 .
- Embodiment 1 it is possible to electrically connect the electrodes 5 and 6 of the sensor 1 to the device body 31 of the measuring device 30 and also to introduce a sample into the sensor 1 , while the sensor 1 is housed in the casing 11 of the sensor cartridge 10 . Furthermore, electrical connection to the sensor 1 can be ensured for the device body 31 by simply placing the electrode 32 in a predetermined position such that the electrode 32 can connect to the wiring 12 of the sensor cartridge 10 , and therefore the device body 31 can perform measurement of living body information. Thus, according to Embodiment 1, it is possible to prevent the structure of the measuring device 30 from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in stability of the measurement, while improving the handleability of the sensor 1 .
- the sensor 1 includes a sensor substrate 2 and a cover 3 .
- the sensor substrate 2 is provided with a pair of electrodes 5 and 6 .
- a sample 7 is introduced between one end of the electrode 5 and one end of the electrode 6 . Further, the other end of the electrode 5 and the other end of the electrode 6 are in contact with and electrically connected to the internal electrodes 13 of the sensor cartridge 10 .
- the cover 3 is placed so as to be bonded to the sensor substrate 2 . Additionally, a groove 3 a is formed in the cover 3 , and the groove 3 a forms the sample inlet 4 when the cover 3 and the sensor substrate 2 are bonded together. Note that the structure of the sensor 1 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is an example, and sensors having other structures can be used in Embodiment 1.
- a reagent corresponding to the type of sample is placed at the portion on the sensor substrate 2 where the sample 7 is to be introduced.
- the measuring device 30 is a glucose meter and the sample is blood
- glucose oxidase and glucose dehydrogenase which react with glucose in blood
- a mediator is placed between these enzymes and the electrodes for the purpose of performing the exchange of electrons.
- an electron transfer substance can be used as the mediator, and specific examples thereof include a ruthenium complex, an iron complex, and an organometallic complex.
- the glucose contained in the sample is oxidized by the enzyme, and the resulting electrons are transferred to the electrodes by the mediator. Therefore, the current flowing between the electrode 5 and the electrode 6 is proportional to the glucose amount in the sample. That is, the value of current flowing between the electrode 5 and the electrode 6 changes according to the glucose amount.
- the measuring device 30 detects this current value via the internal electrodes 13 and the wiring 12 , and calculates the blood glucose level by fitting the detected current value to a calibration curve that has been prepared in advance.
- the wiring 12 of the sensor cartridge 10 functions as electrodes for connecting to the device body 31 (see FIGS. 1 and 4 ).
- the wiring 12 is formed by attaching thin films or foils of metal onto the surface of the casing 11 , or by forming films of a metallic material by vapor deposition, plating, or the like.
- the wiring 12 and the internal electrodes 13 are connected by the wiring 14 formed on the outer surface of the casing 11 and the wiring 15 formed on the inner surface of the casing 11 .
- the wiring 14 and the wiring 15 are formed by attaching thin plates or foils of metal onto the surface of the casing 11 , or by forming films of a metallic material by vapor deposition, plating, or the like.
- the connection structure can be realized by such a simple configuration, and therefore it is possible to achieve a further reduction in the manufacturing costs of the sensor cartridge 10 .
- the internal electrodes 13 are formed so as to protrude from the wiring 15 , which is located on the ceiling side within the casing 11 , toward a bottom surface 18 (i.e., toward the sensor 1 ).
- the internal electrodes 13 are configured to be elastically deformable by pressure.
- the internal electrodes 13 are made of a metallic plate. Further, the internal electrodes 13 are placed so as to protrude in an oblique direction toward the opening 16 .
- each of the sensors 1 moves on the bottom surface 18 provided within the casing 11 .
- the sensor cartridge 10 further includes a delivery mechanism 20 , and the movement of the sensor 1 is effected by the delivery mechanism 20 .
- the delivery mechanism 20 discharges the sensor located at a preset location (the head of the line).
- the delivery mechanism 20 causes the sensor that is placed adjacent to the discharged sensor 1 , that is, the sensor 1 that is placed next to the leading sensor to be located at the preset location, that is, at the head of the line.
- the slider 22 is coupled to the pushing member 21 . Accordingly, when the user causes the slider 22 to move along the groove 24 , the pushing member 21 also moves along with the slider 22 . Then, the sensor 1 is pushed by the pushing member 21 , and the sensor 1 also moves in conjunction with the slider 22 . As a result, the sensor 1 located at the head of the line is pushed to the outside of the casing 11 , and is discharged. Then, the sensor 1 placed next to the discharged sensor 1 will be located at the head of the line.
- the rails 23 a and 23 b are provided within the casing 11 so as to extend in the direction in which the sensors are lined up.
- the slider 22 is sandwiched between the rail 23 a and 23 b , and can move linearly in the direction of the line.
- the rail 23 a and 23 b restrict the movement of the slider 22 and the pushing member 21 in a direction other than the direction of the line.
- the rails 23 a and 23 b are in contact with the top surface of the cover 3 of the sensors 1 excluding the sensor 1 located at the preset location (the head of the line), and press the sensor 1 against the bottom surface 18 .
- Embodiment 1 With a configuration including such rails 23 a and 23 b , it is possible to prevent such a situation where movement using the slider 22 becomes unsmooth due to misalignment of the sensors 1 and it is difficult to move the sensors 1 . Further, according to Embodiment 1, it is possible, with the delivery mechanism 20 , to easily discharge a used sensor 1 and easily set a new sensor 1 , thus further improving the convenience for the user.
- the configuration of the delivery mechanism 20 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 6 .
- Another example of the delivery mechanisms 20 is a mechanism in which the casing 11 is provided with a sheet member on a principal surface of which a plurality of sensors 1 can be placed, and the sensors 1 are moved by moving this sheet member.
- “information relating to the sensors” includes information indicating a calibration curve suited for a sensor 1 .
- the measuring device 30 includes a plurality of calibration curves in order to increase the measurement accuracy. Then, the measuring device 30 needs to select a calibration curve in accordance with the production lot or the like of the sensor 1 . In this case, if each type of wiring pattern is associated in advance with a calibration curve, then the measuring device 30 can select an appropriate calibration curve by detecting the wiring pattern 17 .
- the measuring device 30 includes electrodes 33 as shown in FIG. 4 . Although only one electrode 33 is shown in the example in FIG. 4 , a plurality of electrodes 33 are actually provided. Then, the measuring device 30 specifies the type of the wiring pattern 17 by detecting the number of the electrodes 33 that were able to come into contact with the wiring constituting the wiring pattern 17 , and can select an appropriate calibration curve based on the specified type of the wiring pattern 17 . In this case, the measuring device 30 can easily specify an appropriate calibration curve, and therefore it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy and shorten the measurement time.
- a pressing member 41 that presses the sensor 1 located at the head such that the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 (in FIG. 7 , the sensor electrode 5 is not shown) of the sensor 1 located at the head are pressed against the internal electrodes 13 .
- a recess 42 is provided in a region of the bottom surface 18 on the opening 16 side. Further, an elastic body 40 is placed in the recess 42 . The elastic body 40 presses the pressing member 41 toward the sensor 1 by its elastic force.
- the elastic body 40 is a coil spring in the example in FIG. 7
- the elastic body 40 is not limited thereto and may be a plate spring, a rubber mass, or the like. With the configuration shown in FIG. 7 , it is possible to establish a more solid connection between the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 and the internal electrodes 13 , thus further improving the connection stability.
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- the wiring 12 is connected to the internal electrodes 13 via a conduction path 43 .
- the conduction path 43 is provided so as to penetrate the wall of the casing 11 .
- the conduction path 43 can be formed by forming a through-hole in the wall of the casing 11 , and filling the through-hole with a conductive material or forming a conductive film on the wall surface of the through-hole.
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
- an electrode 44 for being connected to the sensor electrode 6 of the sensor 1 located at the head is provided within the casing 11 .
- the electrode 44 includes a conductive pipe member 44 b penetrating through the wall of the casing 11 , a conductive pin member 44 a , and an elastic body 44 c . Of these, the pipe member 44 b is connected to the wiring 12 .
- the pin member 44 a is formed so as to be slidable along the inner wall of the pipe member 44 b , and is placed within the pipe member 44 b .
- the elastic body 44 c is placed within the pipe member 44 b such that the pin member 44 a is pressed toward the sensor electrode 6 by the elastic force of the elastic body 44 c .
- a pin member 44 a , a pipe member 44 b , an elastic body 44 c , and wiring 12 corresponding to the sensor electrode 5 are also provided.
- the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 of the sensor 1 located at the head are electrically connected to the wiring 12 via the pin members 44 a and the pipe members 44 b . Since the pin members 44 a are pressed against the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 by the elastic force of the elastic bodies 44 c , the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 are electrically connected to the wiring 12 via the pin members 44 a and the pipe members 44 b in a reliable manner.
- the pin member 44 a is pushed upward by a lever (not shown in FIG. 9 ) or the like that is connected to the pin member 44 a .
- the elastic body 44 c is a coil spring in the example in FIG. 9
- the elastic body 44 c is not limited thereto.
- the elastic body 44 c may be a plate spring, a rubber mass, or the like.
- a measurement method according to Embodiment 1 can be realized using the sensor cartridge 10 and the measuring device 30 shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 . Specifically, first, the sensor cartridge 10 is attached to the measuring device 30 , and a sample is introduced from the inlet 4 of the sensor 1 located at the head in the sensor cartridge.
- a voltage is applied between the sensor electrode 5 and the sensor electrode 6 of the sensor 1 via the wiring 12 , the wiring 14 , the wiring 15 , and the internal electrodes 13 (or the electrodes 44 ) of the sensor cartridge 10 , and data measurement is carried out.
- the living body numerical information is calculated from the measured data. Specifically, when the measuring device 30 is a glucose meter, the measured current values are fitted to a calibration curve to calculate the blood glucose level.
- the measuring device 30 may acquire information relating to an appropriate calibration curve based on the wiring pattern 17 provided on the outer surface of the casing 11 , and select a calibration curve based on this information.
- Embodiment 1 unlike with the conventional technology, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs by simplifying the structure of the measuring device 30 . Furthermore, it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out as with the conventional technology, and therefore it is possible to carry out stable measurements. Furthermore, since the sensor cartridge 10 that supplies a plurality of sensors 1 is held by the device body 31 of the measuring device 30 , the handleability for the user is improved.
- Embodiment 1 it is not necessary to set the sensors 1 in the measuring device 30 one by one, and therefore the size reduction of the sensors 1 can be easily realized.
- the wiring 12 for connecting to the outside of the sensor cartridge 10 will not be influenced by the sensor size and the contact area thereof can be set large, and therefore it is possible to facilitate connection between the sensor cartridge 10 and the electrodes of the measuring device 30 .
- Embodiment 1 Although in Embodiment 1 described above, an example is shown in which a plurality of sensors 1 are arranged in a line within the casing 11 of the sensor cartridge 10 and measurement is carried out using the sensor located at the head of the line, the present invention is not limited to this example.
- the casing 11 may be configured such that a plurality of sensors 1 can be arranged in a plurality of lines.
- the opening 16 of the casing 11 exposes the sample inlet 4 of the sensor 1 located at the head of any one of the lines.
- the internal electrodes 13 are placed so as to come into contact with the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 of the sensor 1 located at the head of that line.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- the measuring device 60 includes the sensor cartridge 50 and a device body 61 that holds the sensor cartridge 50 .
- the device body 61 includes a connector 64 that can be inserted into a casing 51 of the sensor cartridge 50 , and electrical connection to the sensor cartridge 50 and holding of the sensor cartridge 50 are carried out with the connector 64 .
- the sensor cartridge 50 and the measuring device 60 will be described, focusing on dissimilarities to Embodiment 1.
- reference numeral 62 denotes a display screen
- reference numeral 63 denotes an operation button.
- the casing 51 of the sensor cartridge 50 is configured such that a plurality of sensors 1 can be arranged within the casing 51 , as with the sensor cartridge 10 (see FIGS. 1 , 3 , and 4 ) according to Embodiment 1, but the rest of the configuration is different from that of Embodiment 1.
- Each of the sensors 1 includes a through-hole 6 a penetrating the sensor substrate 2 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B ) and the sensor electrode 6 , and a through-hole penetrating the sensor substrate 2 and the sensor electrode 5 . Note that the sensor electrode 5 and a through-hole penetrating therethrough are omitted in FIG. 11 .
- the sensor substrate 2 and the sensor electrode 6 are partly shown in cross section only for the sensor 1 located at the head.
- the casing 51 is formed such that the connector 64 of the device body 61 can be inserted into the casing 51 . Additionally, an opening 51 a into which the connector 64 can be inserted is provided in the casing 51 on the side when the tail end sensor 1 is located.
- the connector 64 is provided with an electrode 65 .
- Reference numeral 51 b denotes an opening for exposing the sensor 1 located at the head, and reference numeral 51 c denotes the bottom surface within the casing 51 .
- connection structure is configured such that no wiring is exposed to the outside of the casing 51 .
- the connection structure includes internal wiring 52 provided within the casing 51 , an electrode 53 for being connected to the sensor electrode 6 , and an electrode 54 for being connected to the electrode 65 of the connector 64 .
- the internal wiring 52 is embedded in the casing 51 below the sensor 1 .
- the electrode 53 for being connected to the sensor electrode 6 includes a conductive pin member 53 a , a conductive pipe member 53 b for being connected to the internal wiring 52 , and an elastic body 53 c.
- the pipe member 53 b is embedded in the bottom surface 51 c in the normal direction of the bottom surface 51 c in a position facing the through-hole 6 a of the sensor 1 at the head.
- the pin member 53 a is formed so as to be slidable along the inner wall of the pipe member 53 b , and is placed within the pipe member 53 b .
- the elastic body 53 c is placed within the pipe member 53 b such that the pin member 53 a is pressed toward the sensor electrode 6 by the elastic force of the elastic body 53 c.
- the electrode 54 for being connected to the electrode 65 of the device body 61 includes a conductive pin member 54 a , a conductive pipe member 54 b for being connected to the internal wiring 52 , and an elastic body 54 c .
- the pipe member 54 b is embedded in the bottom surface 51 c in the normal direction of the bottom surface 51 c in a position facing the electrode 65 of the connector 64 .
- the pin member 54 a is formed so as to be slidable along the inner wall of the pipe member 54 b , and is placed within the pipe member 54 b .
- the elastic body 54 c is placed within the pipe member 54 b such that the pin member 54 a is pressed toward the electrode 65 of the connector 64 by the elastic force of the elastic body 54 c.
- the pin member 53 a of the electrode 53 penetrates through the through-hole 6 a of the sensor 1 , and is connected to the sensor electrode 6 in a reliable manner. Then, the sensor electrode 6 is electrically connected to the internal wiring 52 via the pin member 53 a and the pipe member 53 b.
- the pin member 54 a of the electrode 54 comes into contact with the electrode 65 provided in the connector 64 .
- the elastic body 54 c since the pin member 54 a is pressed by the elastic body 54 c , the electrical connection between the pin member 54 a and the electrode 65 is ensured.
- the internal wiring 52 is electrically connected to the electrode 65 via the pipe member 54 b and the pin member 54 a.
- the sensor cartridge 50 it is possible, with the sensor cartridge 50 , to electrically connect the sensor electrode 6 and the electrode 65 of the device body 61 in a simple and reliable manner.
- the sensor cartridge 50 is also provided with an electrode 53 , internal wiring 52 , and an electrode 54 corresponding to the sensor electrode 5 . Accordingly, it is also possible, with the sensor cartridge 50 , to connect the sensor electrode 5 and the electrode 65 of the device body 61 in a simple and reliable manner.
- Embodiment 2 all the effects described in Embodiment 1 can also be achieved by using Embodiment 2. That is, it is possible, with Embodiment 2, to simplify the structure of the measuring device 60 , thus reducing the manufacturing costs. Further, since it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out as with the conventional technology, it is possible to perform stable measurements. Moreover, since the sensor cartridge 50 is held by the device body 61 of the measuring device 60 , the handleability for the user is improved. Additionally, since the contact area of the electrode for connecting to the outside of the sensor cartridge 50 can be set independent of the size of the sensor 1 , it is possible to easily connect the sensor cartridge 50 and the electrode 65 of the device body 61 even if the sensor 1 is miniaturized.
- the casing 51 is provided with a lever for pushing the pin member 53 a downward and a lever for pushing the pin member 54 a downward.
- the former lever is used at the time of replacing the sensors 1 .
- the latter lever is used at the time of inserting the connector 64 .
- each of the elastic bodies 53 c and 54 c is a coil spring in the example in FIG. 11
- the elastic bodies 53 c and 54 c are not limited thereto.
- the elastic bodies 53 c and 54 c may be a plate spring, a rubber mass, or the like.
- a hole whose inner wall is covered with a conductive material may be provided in the casing 51 , in place of the pipe members 53 b and 54 b.
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- the electrode 65 for being connected to the sensor cartridge 50 of the device body 61 is provided on the top surface side of the connector 64 .
- the configuration of the connection structure in the sensor cartridge 50 is different from that of the example in FIG. 11 .
- connection structure includes internal wiring 55 provided within the casing 51 , an electrode 56 for being connected to the sensor electrode 6 , and an electrode 57 for being connected to the electrode 65 of the connector 64 , but they are provided above the sensor 1 .
- the internal wiring 55 is embedded in the casing 51 above the sensor 1 .
- the electrode 56 for being connected to the sensor electrode 6 includes a pin member 56 a , a pipe member 56 b , and an elastic body 56 c as with the electrodes 53 and 54 shown in FIG. 11 , but they are provided above the sensor electrode 6 .
- the pipe member 56 b is embedded above the sensor electrode 6 in a position facing the sensor electrode 6 .
- the pin member 56 a is placed within the pipe member 56 b , and is pressed by the elastic body 56 c toward the electrode 6 from above.
- the electrode 57 for being connected to the electrode 65 of the connector 64 as well includes a pin member 57 a , a pipe member 57 b , and an elastic body 57 c as with the electrodes 53 and 54 shown in FIG. 11 .
- they are also provided above the connector 64 .
- the pipe member 57 b is embedded above the electrode 65 of the connector 64 in a position facing the electrode 65 .
- the pin member 57 a is placed within the pipe member 57 b , and is pressed by the elastic body 57 c toward the electrode 65 of the connector 64 from above.
- the pin member 56 a is electrically connected to the sensor electrode 6 in a reliable manner.
- the pin member 57 a is connected to the electrode 65 in a reliable manner.
- the pipe member 56 b and the pipe member 57 b are electrically connected by the internal wiring 55 .
- the casing 51 is provided with a lever for pushing the pin member 56 a upward and a lever for pushing the pin member 57 a upward.
- the former lever is used at the time of replacing the sensors 1 .
- the latter lever is used at the time of inserting the connector 64 .
- each of the elastic bodies 56 c and 57 c may be a plate spring, a rubber mass, or the like, other than a coil spring.
- a hole whose inner wall is covered with a conductive material may be provided in the casing 51 , in place of the pipe members 56 b and 57 b.
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
- a wiring pattern 58 is provided within the casing 51 constituting the sensor cartridge 50 .
- the rest of the configuration is the same as that of Modification 1 shown in FIG. 12 .
- dissimilarities to Modification 1 will be described.
- the wiring 58 a , the wiring 58 b , and the wiring 58 c constituting the wiring pattern 58 are placed at positions that are located above the connector 64 and adjacent to the electrode 57 , and they are in contact with electrodes 66 provided in the connector 64 .
- the measuring device 60 recognizes “information relating to the sensors” presented by the wiring pattern 58 by using the electrodes 66 . Examples of the “information relating to the sensors” include information indicating a calibration curve suited for the sensors 1 , as described also in Embodiment 1.
- the measuring device 60 can easily specify an appropriate calibration curve. Accordingly, with Modification 2, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy and reduce the measurement time even further.
- a pressing member 41 for pressing the sensor 1 located at the head is provided within the casing 51 constituting the sensor cartridge 50 .
- the rest of the configuration is the same as that of Modification 1 shown in FIG. 12 .
- a recess 42 is provided in a region of the bottom surface 51 c on the opening 51 b side. Further, the elastic body 40 is placed in the recess 42 . The elastic body 40 presses the pressing member 41 toward the sensor 1 by its elastic force. Accordingly, with the example in FIG. 14 as well, it is possible to establish a more solid connection between the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 (in FIG. 14 , the sensor electrode 5 is not shown) and the electrodes 56 , thus improving the connection stability, as with Modification 1 shown in FIG. 7 according to Embodiment 1.
- internal electrodes 13 are provided as the electrodes for being connected to the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 , as with Modification 2 described with reference to FIG. 8 in Embodiment 1. Further, the internal electrodes 13 are connected to internal wiring 55 via a conduction path 43 . The rest of the configuration is the same as that of Modification 1 shown in FIG. 12 .
- the internal electrodes 13 in the example shown in FIG. 15 are configured to be elastically deformable as described in Embodiment 1, the internal electrodes 13 and the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 (in FIG. 15 , the sensor electrode 5 is not shown) are electrically connected in a reliable manner. Further, when the sensor 1 is delivered to the opening 51 b side and the internal electrodes 13 come into contact with the sensor 1 , the internal electrodes 13 are deformed so as not to interfere with the movement of the sensor 1 . Thereafter, the internal electrodes 13 return by an elastic force toward the electrodes 5 and 6 , and come into contact with the electrodes 5 and 6 .
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according to Embodiment 3 of the invention.
- FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the invention.
- the measuring device 80 includes a sensor cartridge 70 , and a device body 81 that holds the sensor cartridge 70 , as with the measuring devices described in Embodiments 1 and 2.
- a casing 71 of the sensor cartridge 70 in Embodiment 3 is configured such that a plurality of sensors 1 can be arranged in a stacking direction.
- a space 76 in which a plurality of sensors 1 stacked in the thickness direction can be housed is provided within the casing 71 .
- an elastic body 77 is provided between a bottom surface 76 a of the space 76 and the stacked sensors 1 , and the sensors 1 are constantly pressed upward by the elastic body 77 .
- a slider 90 for delivering the sensors 1 one by one toward an opening 79 provided in the casing 71 .
- the slider 90 moves in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as “horizontal direction”) perpendicular to the stacking direction using a groove 91 (see FIG. 16 ) as its guide.
- an elastic body 92 is provided on the side of the slider 90 that is opposite to the opening 79 side, and the slider 90 is constantly pressed toward the opening 79 by the elastic body 92 .
- the sensor 1 located at the top is pushed by the elastic body 77 due to the absence of an obstacle above that sensor, and is moved to the space between the opening 79 and the slider 90 .
- the sensor 1 is positioned by the tip of a projection 71 a provided within the casing 71 and the bottom of a projection 90 a provided in the slider 90 .
- the sensor 1 is moved along with the slider 90 toward the opening 79 by the elastic force of the elastic body 92 .
- the placed sensor 1 is pushed by the next sensor 1 that has been moved, and is discharged to the outside of the sensor cartridge 70 .
- the sensor 1 that has been moved by the slider 90 is positioned at a location most suitable for the sample introduction.
- connection structure is configured in the same manner as the connection structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 in Embodiment 1. That is, the connection structure includes wiring 72 provided on the outer surface of the casing 71 , internal electrodes 75 (see FIG. 17 ) provided within the casing 71 , and wiring 73 and 74 for connecting the wiring 72 and the internal electrodes 75 . Further, the internal electrodes 75 are configured in the same manner as the internal electrodes 13 shown in FIG. 4 , and are placed so as to come into contact with the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 (in FIG. 17 , the sensor electrode 5 is not shown) of the sensor 1 located at the top.
- the casing 71 is also provided with a wiring pattern 78 that is similar to the wiring pattern 17 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the wiring pattern 78 includes wiring 78 a and wiring 78 b , and functions as an information presentation portion that presents information relating to the plurality of sensors 1 that are housed in the casing 71 .
- connection structure in Embodiment 3 is similar to that in Embodiment 1.
- the device body 81 of the measuring device 80 in Embodiment 3 holds the sensor cartridge 70 by a configuration different from that in Embodiment 1.
- an electrode 85 that comes into contact with the wiring 72 and an electrode 86 that comes into contact with the wiring of the wiring pattern 78 are provided on the inner surface of the first grasper 84 a . Accordingly, using the device body 81 makes it possible to establish electrical connection between the sensor cartridge 70 and the device body 81 by simply fitting an end of the sensor cartridge 70 into the grasping portion 84 . As with the measuring device 30 described in Embodiment 1, the measuring device 80 performs measurement via the electrode 85 , and selects a calibration curve via the electrode 86 .
- Embodiment 3 all the effects described in Embodiment 1 can be achieved also by using Embodiment 3.
- Embodiment 3 it is possible to simplify the structure of the measuring device 80 and reduce the manufacturing costs. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out as in the conventional technology, it is possible to perform stable measurements. Furthermore, since the sensor cartridge 70 is held by the device body 81 of the measuring device 80 , the handleability for the user is improved. In addition, since the contact area of the wiring 72 for connecting to the outside of the sensor cartridge 70 can be set independent of the size of the sensor 1 , it is possible to easily connect the sensor cartridge 70 and the electrode 85 of the device body 81 even if the sensor 1 is miniaturized.
- the casing 71 of the sensor cartridge 70 is configured to allow a sample to be introduced to the sensor located at the top in Embodiment 3, the configuration is not limited thereto and the casing 71 may be configured to allow a sample to be introduced to the sensor 1 located at the bottom. In this case, the internal electrodes 75 come into contact with the sensor electrodes 5 and 6 of the sensor 1 located at the bottom.
- “stacking direction” refers to a direction that coincides with the thickness direction of the substrate 2 constituting the sensor 1 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B ).
- connection structure of the sensor cartridge 70 includes the wiring 72 and 73 provided on the outer surface of the casing 71 and the wiring 74 provided on the inner surface of the casing 71 in the example shown in FIGS. 16 and 17
- the connection structure in Embodiment 3 is not limited thereto.
- the connection structure of the sensor cartridge 70 may be configured such that the wiring is embedded within the casing 71 and is not exposed to the outside of the casing 71 , as with the connection structures shown in FIGS. 11 to 15 in Embodiment 2.
- a connector that can be inserted into the casing may be provided at a location between the first grasper 84 a and the second grasper 84 b in the device body 81 .
- the connector 64 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 can be used as the connector.
- the device body shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 can be used as the device body 81 as long as an electrode connected to the wiring embedded within the casing 71 is provided on the outside of the casing 71 .
- the sensor 1 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is used as the sensor in Embodiments 1 to 3 described above, the sensor is not limited thereto.
- Another example of the sensor is a sensor whose sample inlet is provided on top of the sensor.
- the sensor is placed in the casing of the sensor cartridge without part of the sensor being exposed. In that case, for example, an opening is provided in the top surface of the casing such that a sample can be dropped down to the sample inlet from above.
- the present invention it is possible to prevent the structure of the measuring device from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in stability of the measurement, while improving the handleability of sensors such as biosensors.
- the present invention is useful in the fields of sensor cartridges for supplying sensors such as biosensors, and of measuring devices using such sensor cartridges.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-245817 filed on Oct. 26, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a sensor cartridge for housing a sensor that is used for acquisition of living body numerical information, and a measuring device including such a sensor cartridge.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Conventionally, in order to measure living body numerical information such as a blood glucose level, compact analytical sensors called biosensors are used. In general, a biosensor is a single-use device, and is set in a measuring device each time measurement is performed. After completion of measurement, the biosensor is then discarded together with a sample that has been measured. At the time of the next measurement, the user sets a new biosensor in the measuring device.
- In general, biosensors are classified into biosensors using an electrochemical measurement method and biosensors using a colorimetric measurement method. Of these, the biosensors using an electrochemical measurement method (hereinafter, simply referred to as “biosensors”) ordinarily include an inlet for introducing a sample into the biosensors and two or more electrodes. A sample introduced from the inlet is transferred to a position where the sample comes into contact with these electrodes, using capillary action or the like. In addition, the electrodes are electrically connected to connection terminals provided on the outer surface of the biosensor. Because of this configuration, it is necessary for the user to bring the connection terminals of the biosensor into contact with the corresponding terminals of the measuring device in a reliable manner, at the time of setting the biosensor in the measuring device.
- However, there is a problem in that a situation tends to arise where the biosensor, because of its small size, is set in a wrong orientation or is not set in a predetermined position in a reliable manner especially in the case where the user has poor eyesight. For this reason, a sensor cartridge to which a plurality of biosensors are mounted and a measuring device including such a sensor cartridge has been proposed.
- JP H10-253570A, JP 2001-281199A, and JP 2003-215086A disclose sensor cartridges that function as a sensor feeding device for successively supplying biosensors to a measuring device. Furthermore, a large number of biosensors are formed in the shape of a plate, and have been housed in advance in a stacked state in a container constituting the sensor cartridge. Additionally, the sensor cartridge housing the biosensors is attached within the casing of a measuring device.
- At the time of measurement, the biosensors housed in the sensor cartridge are pushed out one by one by an arm provided within the measuring device, and the biosensor that has been pushed out is placed in a measurement position. Further, once the biosensor has been placed in the measurement position, electrodes provided within the measurement apparatus are moved to terminals of the biosensor and are connected to the terminals, bringing about a state where a sample can be measured. Thereafter, a sample is supplied into the biosensor, and measurement is carried out. The measured living body information is displayed on a display screen of the measuring device.
- After completion of the measurement, the used biosensor is pulled out, and discarded. Then, at the time of the next measurement, an unused biosensor housed in the cartridge is newly placed automatically. In this way, it is thought that using the sensor cartridge and measuring device disclosed in JP H10-253570A, JP 2001-281199A, or JP 2003-215086A greatly improves the convenience for the user since it allows the user to carry out multiple measurements by simply setting the sensor cartridge.
- JP 2510702Y discloses a sensor cartridge that has the function of successively supplying biosensors, and that is configured to function as a measuring device on its own, not just as a feeding device. Specifically, the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y is internally provided with a plurality of biosensors that are arranged in series, and only the biosensor at the head is exposed from the casing of the sensor cartridge. In addition, the sensor cartridge is connected to an external measurement apparatus via a distribution cable.
- When the user performs measurement by using the biosensor located at the head while holding the sensor cartridge by hand, the data acquired with that biosensor is sent to the external measurement apparatus via the cable. Upon completion of the measurement, the user manipulates a slider that is provided in the sensor cartridge to push the used biosensor out, and then discards the biosensor. This slider manipulation also brings about a state in which a new biosensor has been set.
- The measuring device disclosed in JP H10-253570A, JP 2001-281199A, or JP 2003-215086A is required to have complex mechanisms such as a mechanism for delivering biosensors contained in the sensor cartridge and a mechanism for connecting the electrodes of the measuring device to the connection terminals of the biosensors. Therefore, the measuring devices disclosed in these documents have the problem of high manufacturing costs. The measuring devices also have a problem in that they are susceptible to failure due to their complex mechanisms.
- Furthermore, since the connection between the electrodes of the measuring device and the terminals of the biosensors is established by moving the electrodes of the measuring device by using an arm or the like, the positioning of the arm or the like may become inaccurate due to degraded parts, the environment of usage, a bug in the control software, and the like. If the positioning becomes inaccurate, there may be cases when the measurement error becomes large, or measurement is impossible, resulting in the problem of not being able to perform stable measurements.
- Furthermore, biosensors are expected to be more compact in the future, and the required positioning accuracy will increase accordingly. Therefore, it is thought that the above-described problem of not being able to perform stable measurements will become even more significant with the size reduction of biosensors.
- On the other hand, the mechanism of delivering the biosensors and the mechanism for connecting the connection terminals of the biosensor and the connectors of the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y are both simple. Accordingly, it is thought that the problems of high manufacturing costs, of susceptibility to failure, and of being not able to perform measurement stable can be solved by using the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y.
- In the case of using the sensor cartridge disclosed in JP 2510702Y, however, it is necessary to connect the sensor cartridge and the measurement apparatus via the distribution cable as described above, and this results in the problem of poor handleability for the user.
- An example of the object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and provide a sensor cartridge that can prevent the structure of a measuring device from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in the measurement stability, while improving the handleability of sensors, and a measuring device including such sensor cartridge.
- In order to attain the above-described object, a sensor cartridge according to one aspect of the present invention is a sensor cartridge for supplying a sensor, including: a casing within which the plurality of sensors can be arranged and that allows a sample to be introduced to a sensor located at a preset location; and a connection structure that electrically connects an external device and a sensor electrode included in the sensor located at the preset location, wherein the casing is formed so as to be held by the device when the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure.
- According to the above-described feature, it is possible to make the sensor electrode electrically connectable to the external device (e.g., the device body or the like of the measuring device, which will be described later) while the sensor is housed in the casing of the sensor cartridge, and also to allow a sample to be introduced into the sensor. Additionally, the sensor cartridge is configured so as to be able to be held by the device. From these respects, it is possible to perform measurement of living body information using the sensor by simply attaching the sensor cartridge to the device, thus improving the handleability for the user. Furthermore, according to the above-described feature, it is possible to simplify the structure of the sensor cartridge and also the structure of the external device compared to those of their conventional counterparts, thus reducing the manufacturing costs. Moreover, since it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out, it is also possible to perform stable measurements.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in a preferred mode of the invention, the casing is configured such that the plurality of sensors can be arranged in a line, and the connection structure electrically connects the device and the sensor electrode included in a sensor located at the head of the line. In this case, it is possible to simply the structure of the casing.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in another preferred mode of the invention, the casing is configured to allow the plurality of sensors to be arranged in a stacking direction, and to allow the sample to be introduced to a sensor located at the top or at the bottom, and the connection structure electrically connects the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the top or at the bottom. In this case, it is possible to increase the efficiency in housing the sensors within the casing.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in a preferred mode of the invention, a member that presses the sensor located at the preset location is provided within the casing such that the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location is pressed against part of the connection structure. According to this mode, it is possible to establish a solid connection between the sensor electrode and the connection structure, thus improving the connection stability.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in a preferred mode of the invention, the connection structure includes wiring provided on an outer surface of the casing, and the wiring is connected to the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location. According to this mode, the connection structure can be realized with a simple configuration, and therefore it is possible to further reduce the manufacturing costs for the sensor cartridge.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in another preferred mode of the invention, the connection structure includes a conduction path penetrating through a wall of the casing, and is connected via the conduction path to the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location. According to this mode, it is possible to shorten the wiring distance in the connection structure and reduce the wiring resistance, and therefore it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in a preferred mode of the invention, the connection structure includes, within the casing, an electrode that comes into contact with the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location, and an electrode for being connected to the device. According to this mode, it is possible to facilitate a further size reduction for the sensor cartridge. Furthermore, according to this mode, it is particularly preferable that one or both of the electrode that comes into contact with the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location and the electrode for being connected to the device are configured to be elastically deformable by pressure. In this case, a solid connection is established by using an elastic force, and therefore it is possible to improve the connection stability.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in a preferred mode of the invention, the sensor cartridge further includes a delivery mechanism, and the delivery mechanism discharges the sensor located at the preset location, and causes a sensor placed adjacent to the discharged sensor to be located at the preset location. According to this mode, it is possible to easily discharge a used sensor and set a new sensor in a simple manner, thus further improving the handleability for the user.
- Furthermore, in the above-described mode, the casing may include a sheet member on a principal surface of which the plurality of sensors can be placed, and the delivery mechanism may cause the sensor placed adjacent to the discharged sensor to be located at the preset location by moving the sheet member.
- Preferably, the above-described sensor cartridge of the invention further includes, within the casing, an information presentation portion that presents information relating to the plurality of sensors housed in the casing. An example of the information relating to the sensors is information indicating a calibration curve suited for the sensors. In this case, the device can easily specify an appropriate calibration curve, and therefore it is possible, according to the above mode, to improve the measurement accuracy and shorten the measurement time.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in another mode of the invention, the casing is formed so as to be able to house at least part of the device when the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure.
- Furthermore, in the above-described sensor cartridge in another mode of the invention, the casing is formed such that at least part of the casing is housed within the device when the device and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure.
- In the above-described sensor cartridge in another mode of the invention, the casing includes an opening that allows the sample to be introduced to the sensor located at the preset location.
- In order to achieve the above-described object, a measuring device according to one aspect of the invention is a measuring device for measuring living body numerical information by using a sensor, including: a sensor cartridge that supplies the sensor; and a device body that holds the sensor cartridge, wherein the sensor cartridge includes: a casing within which the plurality of sensors can be arranged, and that allows a sample to be introduced to a sensor located at a preset location; and a connection structure that electrically connects the device body and a sensor electrode included in the sensor located at the preset location, the casing is formed so as to be held by the device body when the device body and the sensor electrode of the sensor located at the preset location are electrically connected via the connection structure, and the device body includes an electrode that comes into contact with part of the connection structure when the device body holds the sensor cartridge.
- As described above, with the sensor cartridge and the measuring device according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the structure of the measuring device from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in stability of the measurement, while improving the handleability of sensors.
- These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the present invention. -
FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of an example of the sensor used inEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 2B is an assembly diagram showing the sensor inFIG. 2A . -
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the sensor shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B is housed in the sensor cartridge. -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the sensor cartridge and a measuring device according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the measuring device according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a delivery mechanism provided in the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. -
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. -
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. -
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. -
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according toEmbodiment 3 of the invention. -
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 3 of the invention. - In the following, a
sensor cartridge 10 and a measuringdevice 30 according toEmbodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 6 .FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the present invention.FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of an example of the sensor used inEmbodiment 1 of the invention.FIG. 2B is an assembly diagram showing the sensor inFIG. 2A .FIG. 3 shows a state in which the sensor shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B is housed in the sensor cartridge. -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the sensor cartridge and the measuring device according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention.FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the measuring device according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention.FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a delivery mechanism provided in the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. - The
sensor cartridge 10 shown inFIG. 1 according toEmbodiment 1 is a cartridge used for supplying asensor 1 to a measuring device (seeFIG. 4 ). As shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B , thesensor 1 includessensor electrodes sample inlet 4. - Further, the measuring
device 30 shown inFIG. 5 according toEmbodiment 1 is a device that measures living body numerical information by using thesensor 1. Specifically, the measuringdevice 30 is, for example, a glucose meter, a lactate meter, a ketone body measuring device, a lipid measuring device, or the like. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thesensor cartridge 10 includes a casing 11 (seeFIG. 3 ) within which a plurality ofsensors 1 can be arranged, and a connection structure. Thecasing 11 is formed so as to allow a sample to be introduced into a sensor located at a preset location. InEmbodiment 1, thecasing 11 includes anopening 16 for exposing ansample inlet 4 of thesensor 1 located at a preset location, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3 . - The connection structure electrically connects an external device and the sensor electrodes (see
FIGS. 2A and 2B and 3) of the sensor located at a preset location within thesensor cartridge 10. InEmbodiment 1, the external device is a device body 31 (seeFIG. 5 ) of the measuringdevice 30. Also, inEmbodiment 1, the connection structure includeswiring 12 provided on the outer surface of thecasing 11, internal electrodes 13 (seeFIG. 4 ) provided within thecasing 11, andwiring wiring 12 and theinternal electrodes 13. - Further, as shown in
FIG. 4 , theinternal electrodes 13 are placed so as to come into contact with thesensor electrodes 5 and 6 (inFIG. 4 , theelectrode 5 is not shown) of thesensor 1 located at a preset location. Theinternal electrodes 13 are electrically connected to thewiring 12 via thewiring internal electrode 13 that comes into contact with thesensor electrode 6 is shown in the example shown inFIG. 4 , aninternal electrode 13 that comes into contact with thesensor electrode 5 as well is actually provided. - In
Embodiment 1, as shown inFIG. 3 , a plurality ofsensors 1 are arranged in a line, and the preset location is set to the head of the line. Further, as shown inFIG. 4 , theinternal electrodes 13 are placed so as to come into contact with thesensor electrodes sensor 1 located at the head of the line. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , the measuringdevice 30 includes thesensor cartridge 10 and thedevice body 31 that holds thesensor cartridge 10. Thedevice body 31 holds thesensor cartridge 10 such that theopening 16 provided in thecasing 11 of thesensor cartridge 10 is exposed to the outside of thedevice body 31. - Further, as shown in
FIG. 4 , thedevice body 31 is internally provided withelectrodes electrode 32 is placed so as to come into contact with thewiring 12 of thesensor cartridge 10 when thedevice body 31 holds thesensor cartridge 10. Theelectrode 33 will be described later. InFIG. 4 , thesensor cartridge 10 is shown in cross section, whereas only part of thedevice body 31 is shown in cross section for the measuringdevice 30. As shown inFIG. 5 , thedevice body 31 is provided with adisplay screen 34 for displaying a measurement result and anoperation button 35. - As described above, according to
Embodiment 1, it is possible to electrically connect theelectrodes sensor 1 to thedevice body 31 of the measuringdevice 30 and also to introduce a sample into thesensor 1, while thesensor 1 is housed in thecasing 11 of thesensor cartridge 10. Furthermore, electrical connection to thesensor 1 can be ensured for thedevice body 31 by simply placing theelectrode 32 in a predetermined position such that theelectrode 32 can connect to thewiring 12 of thesensor cartridge 10, and therefore thedevice body 31 can perform measurement of living body information. Thus, according toEmbodiment 1, it is possible to prevent the structure of the measuringdevice 30 from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in stability of the measurement, while improving the handleability of thesensor 1. - Here, the configurations of the
sensor cartridge 10 and the measuringdevice 30 according toEmbodiment 1 and the structure of thesensor 1 used inEmbodiment 1 will be described in further detail. First, the structure of thesensor 1 will be described in detail. - As shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B , thesensor 1 includes asensor substrate 2 and acover 3. Thesensor substrate 2 is provided with a pair ofelectrodes sample 7 is introduced between one end of theelectrode 5 and one end of theelectrode 6. Further, the other end of theelectrode 5 and the other end of theelectrode 6 are in contact with and electrically connected to theinternal electrodes 13 of thesensor cartridge 10. - The
cover 3 is placed so as to be bonded to thesensor substrate 2. Additionally, agroove 3 a is formed in thecover 3, and thegroove 3 a forms thesample inlet 4 when thecover 3 and thesensor substrate 2 are bonded together. Note that the structure of thesensor 1 shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B is an example, and sensors having other structures can be used inEmbodiment 1. - Further, although not shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B , a reagent corresponding to the type of sample is placed at the portion on thesensor substrate 2 where thesample 7 is to be introduced. For example, in the case when the measuringdevice 30 is a glucose meter and the sample is blood, glucose oxidase and glucose dehydrogenase, which react with glucose in blood, can be used as the reagents. Also, a mediator is placed between these enzymes and the electrodes for the purpose of performing the exchange of electrons. For example, an electron transfer substance can be used as the mediator, and specific examples thereof include a ruthenium complex, an iron complex, and an organometallic complex. - When a voltage is applied between the
electrode 5 and theelectrode 6 in the case when the sample is blood, the glucose contained in the sample is oxidized by the enzyme, and the resulting electrons are transferred to the electrodes by the mediator. Therefore, the current flowing between theelectrode 5 and theelectrode 6 is proportional to the glucose amount in the sample. That is, the value of current flowing between theelectrode 5 and theelectrode 6 changes according to the glucose amount. The measuringdevice 30 detects this current value via theinternal electrodes 13 and thewiring 12, and calculates the blood glucose level by fitting the detected current value to a calibration curve that has been prepared in advance. - Further, in
Embodiment 1, thewiring 12 of thesensor cartridge 10 functions as electrodes for connecting to the device body 31 (seeFIGS. 1 and 4 ). Thewiring 12 is formed by attaching thin films or foils of metal onto the surface of thecasing 11, or by forming films of a metallic material by vapor deposition, plating, or the like. - Further, in
Embodiment 1, one end of thewiring 12 reaches the opening edge of theopening 16, and is connected to thewiring 14 at that opening edge. Thewiring 14 is provided on the side of thecasing 11 on which theopening 16 is provided. Further, thewiring 15 is provided within thecasing 11, and is connected to thewiring 14 at the opening edge of theopening 16. Then, theinternal electrodes 13 are connected to thewiring 15. - That is to say, in
Embodiment 1, thewiring 12 and theinternal electrodes 13 are connected by thewiring 14 formed on the outer surface of thecasing 11 and thewiring 15 formed on the inner surface of thecasing 11. As with thewiring 12, thewiring 14 and thewiring 15 are formed by attaching thin plates or foils of metal onto the surface of thecasing 11, or by forming films of a metallic material by vapor deposition, plating, or the like. InEmbodiment 1, the connection structure can be realized by such a simple configuration, and therefore it is possible to achieve a further reduction in the manufacturing costs of thesensor cartridge 10. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , inEmbodiment 1, theinternal electrodes 13 are formed so as to protrude from thewiring 15, which is located on the ceiling side within thecasing 11, toward a bottom surface 18 (i.e., toward the sensor 1). In addition, theinternal electrodes 13 are configured to be elastically deformable by pressure. Specifically, theinternal electrodes 13 are made of a metallic plate. Further, theinternal electrodes 13 are placed so as to protrude in an oblique direction toward theopening 16. - Accordingly, when the
sensor 1 is delivered to theopening 16 side and theinternal electrodes 13 come into contact with thecover 3 of thesensor 1, theinternal electrodes 13 are deformed so as not to interfere with the movement of thesensor 1. Then, when thecover 3 of thesensor 1 has passed under theinternal electrodes 13, theinternal electrodes 13 return by an elastic force toward theelectrodes electrodes FIG. 4 , each of thesensors 1 moves on thebottom surface 18 provided within thecasing 11. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 6 , inEmbodiment 1, thesensor cartridge 10 further includes adelivery mechanism 20, and the movement of thesensor 1 is effected by thedelivery mechanism 20. Thedelivery mechanism 20 discharges the sensor located at a preset location (the head of the line). In addition, thedelivery mechanism 20 causes the sensor that is placed adjacent to the dischargedsensor 1, that is, thesensor 1 that is placed next to the leading sensor to be located at the preset location, that is, at the head of the line. - Specifically, the
delivery mechanism 20 includes a pushingmember 21, aslider 22, a pair ofrails groove 24 provided in thecasing 11. Of these, the pushingmember 21 is in contact with thesensor 1 located at the tail end of the line, and moves on the bottom surface 18 (seeFIG. 4 ) provided within thecasing 11 while pushing thatsensor 1. Note that the illustration of thedelivery mechanism 20 is omitted inFIG. 4 . - The
slider 22 is coupled to the pushingmember 21. Accordingly, when the user causes theslider 22 to move along thegroove 24, the pushingmember 21 also moves along with theslider 22. Then, thesensor 1 is pushed by the pushingmember 21, and thesensor 1 also moves in conjunction with theslider 22. As a result, thesensor 1 located at the head of the line is pushed to the outside of thecasing 11, and is discharged. Then, thesensor 1 placed next to the dischargedsensor 1 will be located at the head of the line. - The
rails casing 11 so as to extend in the direction in which the sensors are lined up. Theslider 22 is sandwiched between therail rail slider 22 and the pushingmember 21 in a direction other than the direction of the line. Further, therails cover 3 of thesensors 1 excluding thesensor 1 located at the preset location (the head of the line), and press thesensor 1 against thebottom surface 18. - With a configuration including
such rails slider 22 becomes unsmooth due to misalignment of thesensors 1 and it is difficult to move thesensors 1. Further, according toEmbodiment 1, it is possible, with thedelivery mechanism 20, to easily discharge a usedsensor 1 and easily set anew sensor 1, thus further improving the convenience for the user. - Although not shown in the example in
FIG. 6 , it is preferable that thedelivery mechanism 20 is additionally provided with a configuration for restricting the movement of theslider 22 in the direction of the line such that thesensors 1 can be delivered one by one. Specifically, it is preferable that thegroove 24 is provided with a projection or the like in a position corresponding to the position of theslider 22 at the time when onesensor 1 is discharged and thenext sensor 1 is placed at the head. - The configuration of the
delivery mechanism 20 is not limited to the example shown inFIG. 6 . Another example of thedelivery mechanisms 20 is a mechanism in which thecasing 11 is provided with a sheet member on a principal surface of which a plurality ofsensors 1 can be placed, and thesensors 1 are moved by moving this sheet member. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , inEmbodiment 1, thesensor cartridge 10 includes awiring pattern 17 on the outer surface of thecasing 11, separately from thewiring 12. Thewiring pattern 17 functions as an information presentation portion that presents information relating to a plurality ofsensors 1 housed in thecasing 11. In the example inFIG. 1 , thewiring pattern 17 includeswiring 17 a, wiring 17 b, andwiring 17 c, and presents the information relating to the plurality ofsensors 1 that are housed. The measuringdevice 30 recognizes the presented information using thewiring pattern 17. - Here, “information relating to the sensors” includes information indicating a calibration curve suited for a
sensor 1. In general, the measuringdevice 30 includes a plurality of calibration curves in order to increase the measurement accuracy. Then, the measuringdevice 30 needs to select a calibration curve in accordance with the production lot or the like of thesensor 1. In this case, if each type of wiring pattern is associated in advance with a calibration curve, then the measuringdevice 30 can select an appropriate calibration curve by detecting thewiring pattern 17. - Specifically, the measuring
device 30 includeselectrodes 33 as shown inFIG. 4 . Although only oneelectrode 33 is shown in the example inFIG. 4 , a plurality ofelectrodes 33 are actually provided. Then, the measuringdevice 30 specifies the type of thewiring pattern 17 by detecting the number of theelectrodes 33 that were able to come into contact with the wiring constituting thewiring pattern 17, and can select an appropriate calibration curve based on the specified type of thewiring pattern 17. In this case, the measuringdevice 30 can easily specify an appropriate calibration curve, and therefore it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy and shorten the measurement time. - (Modification 1)
- Next,
Modification 1 of thesensor cartridge 10 according toEmbodiment 1 will be described with reference toFIG. 7 .FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 7 , provided within thecasing 11 of thesensor cartridge 10 is a pressingmember 41 that presses thesensor 1 located at the head such that thesensor electrodes 5 and 6 (inFIG. 7 , thesensor electrode 5 is not shown) of thesensor 1 located at the head are pressed against theinternal electrodes 13. - Specifically, in the example in
FIG. 7 , arecess 42 is provided in a region of thebottom surface 18 on theopening 16 side. Further, anelastic body 40 is placed in therecess 42. Theelastic body 40 presses the pressingmember 41 toward thesensor 1 by its elastic force. Although theelastic body 40 is a coil spring in the example inFIG. 7 , theelastic body 40 is not limited thereto and may be a plate spring, a rubber mass, or the like. With the configuration shown inFIG. 7 , it is possible to establish a more solid connection between thesensor electrodes internal electrodes 13, thus further improving the connection stability. - (Modification 2)
- Next,
Modification 2 of thesensor cartridge 10 according toEmbodiment 1 will be described with reference toFIG. 8 .FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 8 , thewiring 12 is connected to theinternal electrodes 13 via aconduction path 43. Theconduction path 43 is provided so as to penetrate the wall of thecasing 11. Specifically, theconduction path 43 can be formed by forming a through-hole in the wall of thecasing 11, and filling the through-hole with a conductive material or forming a conductive film on the wall surface of the through-hole. With the configuration shown inFIG. 8 , it is possible to reduce the wiring resistance by connecting thewiring 12 and theinternal electrodes 13 with a short wiring distance, thus improving the measurement accuracy. - (Modification 3)
- Next,
Modification 3 of thesensor cartridge 10 according toEmbodiment 1 will be described with reference toFIG. 9 .FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 1 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 9 , anelectrode 44 for being connected to thesensor electrode 6 of thesensor 1 located at the head is provided within thecasing 11. Theelectrode 44 includes aconductive pipe member 44 b penetrating through the wall of thecasing 11, aconductive pin member 44 a, and anelastic body 44 c. Of these, thepipe member 44 b is connected to thewiring 12. - The
pin member 44 a is formed so as to be slidable along the inner wall of thepipe member 44 b, and is placed within thepipe member 44 b. Theelastic body 44 c is placed within thepipe member 44 b such that thepin member 44 a is pressed toward thesensor electrode 6 by the elastic force of theelastic body 44 c. Further, although not shown inFIG. 9 , apin member 44 a, apipe member 44 b, anelastic body 44 c, andwiring 12 corresponding to thesensor electrode 5 are also provided. - With this configuration, in the example in
FIG. 9 , thesensor electrodes sensor 1 located at the head are electrically connected to thewiring 12 via thepin members 44 a and thepipe members 44 b. Since thepin members 44 a are pressed against thesensor electrodes elastic bodies 44 c, thesensor electrodes wiring 12 via thepin members 44 a and thepipe members 44 b in a reliable manner. - At the time of replacing the
sensors 1, thepin member 44 a is pushed upward by a lever (not shown inFIG. 9 ) or the like that is connected to thepin member 44 a. Although theelastic body 44 c is a coil spring in the example inFIG. 9 , theelastic body 44 c is not limited thereto. Theelastic body 44 c may be a plate spring, a rubber mass, or the like. - A measurement method according to
Embodiment 1 can be realized using thesensor cartridge 10 and the measuringdevice 30 shown inFIGS. 1 to 9 . Specifically, first, thesensor cartridge 10 is attached to the measuringdevice 30, and a sample is introduced from theinlet 4 of thesensor 1 located at the head in the sensor cartridge. - Next, from the
electrode 32 provided within thedevice body 31 of the measuringdevice 30, a voltage is applied between thesensor electrode 5 and thesensor electrode 6 of thesensor 1 via thewiring 12, thewiring 14, thewiring 15, and the internal electrodes 13 (or the electrodes 44) of thesensor cartridge 10, and data measurement is carried out. Then, the living body numerical information is calculated from the measured data. Specifically, when the measuringdevice 30 is a glucose meter, the measured current values are fitted to a calibration curve to calculate the blood glucose level. - Thereafter, the
sensor 1 used for calculation of the living body numerical information is discharged, and thesensor 1 placed next to the dischargedsensor 1 is located at the head of the line. InEmbodiment 1, prior to the first measurement using thesensor 1, the measuringdevice 30 may acquire information relating to an appropriate calibration curve based on thewiring pattern 17 provided on the outer surface of thecasing 11, and select a calibration curve based on this information. - As described above, according to
Embodiment 1, unlike with the conventional technology, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs by simplifying the structure of the measuringdevice 30. Furthermore, it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out as with the conventional technology, and therefore it is possible to carry out stable measurements. Furthermore, since thesensor cartridge 10 that supplies a plurality ofsensors 1 is held by thedevice body 31 of the measuringdevice 30, the handleability for the user is improved. - Furthermore, according to
Embodiment 1, it is not necessary to set thesensors 1 in the measuringdevice 30 one by one, and therefore the size reduction of thesensors 1 can be easily realized. In addition, thewiring 12 for connecting to the outside of thesensor cartridge 10 will not be influenced by the sensor size and the contact area thereof can be set large, and therefore it is possible to facilitate connection between thesensor cartridge 10 and the electrodes of the measuringdevice 30. - Although in
Embodiment 1 described above, an example is shown in which a plurality ofsensors 1 are arranged in a line within thecasing 11 of thesensor cartridge 10 and measurement is carried out using the sensor located at the head of the line, the present invention is not limited to this example. - For example, the
casing 11 may be configured such that a plurality ofsensors 1 can be arranged in a plurality of lines. In this case, theopening 16 of thecasing 11 exposes thesample inlet 4 of thesensor 1 located at the head of any one of the lines. Then, theinternal electrodes 13 are placed so as to come into contact with thesensor electrodes sensor 1 located at the head of that line. - Next, a
sensor cartridge 50 and a measuringdevice 60 according toEmbodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 10 and 11 .FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention.FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. - As shown in
FIG. 10 , the measuringdevice 60 includes thesensor cartridge 50 and adevice body 61 that holds thesensor cartridge 50. InEmbodiment 2, thedevice body 61 includes aconnector 64 that can be inserted into a casing 51 of thesensor cartridge 50, and electrical connection to thesensor cartridge 50 and holding of thesensor cartridge 50 are carried out with theconnector 64. In the following, thesensor cartridge 50 and the measuringdevice 60 will be described, focusing on dissimilarities toEmbodiment 1. InFIG. 10 ,reference numeral 62 denotes a display screen, andreference numeral 63 denotes an operation button. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , the casing 51 of thesensor cartridge 50 is configured such that a plurality ofsensors 1 can be arranged within the casing 51, as with the sensor cartridge 10 (seeFIGS. 1 , 3, and 4) according toEmbodiment 1, but the rest of the configuration is different from that ofEmbodiment 1. Each of thesensors 1 includes a through-hole 6 a penetrating the sensor substrate 2 (seeFIGS. 2A and 2B ) and thesensor electrode 6, and a through-hole penetrating thesensor substrate 2 and thesensor electrode 5. Note that thesensor electrode 5 and a through-hole penetrating therethrough are omitted inFIG. 11 . In addition, thesensor substrate 2 and thesensor electrode 6 are partly shown in cross section only for thesensor 1 located at the head. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , the casing 51 is formed such that theconnector 64 of thedevice body 61 can be inserted into the casing 51. Additionally, an opening 51 a into which theconnector 64 can be inserted is provided in the casing 51 on the side when thetail end sensor 1 is located. Theconnector 64 is provided with anelectrode 65.Reference numeral 51 b denotes an opening for exposing thesensor 1 located at the head, andreference numeral 51 c denotes the bottom surface within the casing 51. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , unlike thesensor cartridge 10 inEmbodiment 1, the connection structure is configured such that no wiring is exposed to the outside of the casing 51. InEmbodiment 2, the connection structure includesinternal wiring 52 provided within the casing 51, anelectrode 53 for being connected to thesensor electrode 6, and anelectrode 54 for being connected to theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64. - Specifically, in the example in
FIG. 11 , theinternal wiring 52 is embedded in the casing 51 below thesensor 1. Further, theelectrode 53 for being connected to thesensor electrode 6 includes aconductive pin member 53 a, aconductive pipe member 53 b for being connected to theinternal wiring 52, and anelastic body 53 c. - Of these, the
pipe member 53 b is embedded in thebottom surface 51 c in the normal direction of thebottom surface 51 c in a position facing the through-hole 6 a of thesensor 1 at the head. Thepin member 53 a is formed so as to be slidable along the inner wall of thepipe member 53 b, and is placed within thepipe member 53 b. Theelastic body 53 c is placed within thepipe member 53 b such that thepin member 53 a is pressed toward thesensor electrode 6 by the elastic force of theelastic body 53 c. - Also, the
electrode 54 for being connected to theelectrode 65 of thedevice body 61 includes aconductive pin member 54 a, a conductive pipe member 54 b for being connected to theinternal wiring 52, and anelastic body 54 c. The pipe member 54 b is embedded in thebottom surface 51 c in the normal direction of thebottom surface 51 c in a position facing theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64. Thepin member 54 a is formed so as to be slidable along the inner wall of the pipe member 54 b, and is placed within the pipe member 54 b. Theelastic body 54 c is placed within the pipe member 54 b such that thepin member 54 a is pressed toward theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64 by the elastic force of theelastic body 54 c. - Accordingly, when the
sensor 1 is placed at a predetermined position, thepin member 53 a of theelectrode 53 penetrates through the through-hole 6 a of thesensor 1, and is connected to thesensor electrode 6 in a reliable manner. Then, thesensor electrode 6 is electrically connected to theinternal wiring 52 via thepin member 53 a and thepipe member 53 b. - When the
connector 64 is inserted into the opening 51 a of the casing 51, thepin member 54 a of theelectrode 54 comes into contact with theelectrode 65 provided in theconnector 64. At that time, since thepin member 54 a is pressed by theelastic body 54 c, the electrical connection between thepin member 54 a and theelectrode 65 is ensured. As a result, theinternal wiring 52 is electrically connected to theelectrode 65 via the pipe member 54 b and thepin member 54 a. - As described above, according to
Embodiment 2, it is possible, with thesensor cartridge 50, to electrically connect thesensor electrode 6 and theelectrode 65 of thedevice body 61 in a simple and reliable manner. Although not shown inFIG. 11 , thesensor cartridge 50 is also provided with anelectrode 53,internal wiring 52, and anelectrode 54 corresponding to thesensor electrode 5. Accordingly, it is also possible, with thesensor cartridge 50, to connect thesensor electrode 5 and theelectrode 65 of thedevice body 61 in a simple and reliable manner. - In addition to the above-described effects, all the effects described in
Embodiment 1 can also be achieved by usingEmbodiment 2. That is, it is possible, withEmbodiment 2, to simplify the structure of the measuringdevice 60, thus reducing the manufacturing costs. Further, since it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out as with the conventional technology, it is possible to perform stable measurements. Moreover, since thesensor cartridge 50 is held by thedevice body 61 of the measuringdevice 60, the handleability for the user is improved. Additionally, since the contact area of the electrode for connecting to the outside of thesensor cartridge 50 can be set independent of the size of thesensor 1, it is possible to easily connect thesensor cartridge 50 and theelectrode 65 of thedevice body 61 even if thesensor 1 is miniaturized. - Although not shown in
FIG. 11 , the casing 51 is provided with a lever for pushing thepin member 53 a downward and a lever for pushing thepin member 54 a downward. The former lever is used at the time of replacing thesensors 1. The latter lever is used at the time of inserting theconnector 64. Although each of theelastic bodies FIG. 11 , theelastic bodies elastic bodies FIG. 11 , a hole whose inner wall is covered with a conductive material may be provided in the casing 51, in place of thepipe members 53 b and 54 b. - (Modification 1)
- Next,
Modification 1 of thesensor cartridge 50 according toEmbodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference toFIG. 12 .FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 12 , unlike the example inFIG. 11 , theelectrode 65 for being connected to thesensor cartridge 50 of thedevice body 61 is provided on the top surface side of theconnector 64. In addition, the configuration of the connection structure in thesensor cartridge 50 is different from that of the example inFIG. 11 . - In the example in
FIG. 12 as well, the connection structure includesinternal wiring 55 provided within the casing 51, anelectrode 56 for being connected to thesensor electrode 6, and anelectrode 57 for being connected to theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64, but they are provided above thesensor 1. In other words, theinternal wiring 55 is embedded in the casing 51 above thesensor 1. - Further, the
electrode 56 for being connected to thesensor electrode 6 includes apin member 56 a, apipe member 56 b, and anelastic body 56 c as with theelectrodes FIG. 11 , but they are provided above thesensor electrode 6. Specifically, thepipe member 56 b is embedded above thesensor electrode 6 in a position facing thesensor electrode 6. Further, thepin member 56 a is placed within thepipe member 56 b, and is pressed by theelastic body 56 c toward theelectrode 6 from above. - Furthermore, the
electrode 57 for being connected to theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64 as well includes apin member 57 a, apipe member 57 b, and anelastic body 57 c as with theelectrodes FIG. 11 . However, they are also provided above theconnector 64. Specifically, thepipe member 57 b is embedded above theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64 in a position facing theelectrode 65. Further, thepin member 57 a is placed within thepipe member 57 b, and is pressed by theelastic body 57 c toward theelectrode 65 of theconnector 64 from above. - Accordingly, when the
sensor 1 is placed at a predetermined position, thepin member 56 a is electrically connected to thesensor electrode 6 in a reliable manner. When theconnector 64 is inserted into the opening 51 a of the casing 51, thepin member 57 a is connected to theelectrode 65 in a reliable manner. Also, thepipe member 56 b and thepipe member 57 b are electrically connected by theinternal wiring 55. - Accordingly, in the example in
FIG. 12 as well, it is possible to electrically connect thesensor electrode 6 and theelectrode 65 of thedevice body 61 in a simple and reliable manner. Although not shown inFIG. 12 , anelectrode 56,internal wiring 55, and anelectrode 57 corresponding to thesensor electrode 5 are also provided, and therefore it is also possible to electrically connect thesensor electrode 5 and theelectrode 65 of thedevice body 61 in a simple and reliable manner. - Although not shown in the example in
FIG. 12 , the casing 51 is provided with a lever for pushing thepin member 56 a upward and a lever for pushing thepin member 57 a upward. The former lever is used at the time of replacing thesensors 1. The latter lever is used at the time of inserting theconnector 64. In the example inFIG. 12 as well, each of theelastic bodies FIG. 12 as well, a hole whose inner wall is covered with a conductive material may be provided in the casing 51, in place of thepipe members - (Modification 2)
- Next,
Modification 2 of thesensor cartridge 50 according toEmbodiment 2 will be described with reference toFIG. 13 .FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 13 , awiring pattern 58 is provided within the casing 51 constituting thesensor cartridge 50. The rest of the configuration is the same as that ofModification 1 shown inFIG. 12 . In the following, dissimilarities toModification 1 will be described. - The
wiring pattern 58 has the same function as that of thewiring pattern 17 shown inFIG. 1 inEmbodiment 1. As with thewiring pattern 17, thewiring pattern 58 functions as an information presentation portion that presents information relating to a plurality ofsensors 1 housed in the casing 51. In the example inFIG. 13 , thewiring pattern 58 includeswiring 58 a, wiring 58 b, andwiring 58 c, and information relating to the plurality ofsensors 1 that are housed is presented by using such wiring. - The
wiring 58 a, thewiring 58 b, and thewiring 58 c constituting thewiring pattern 58 are placed at positions that are located above theconnector 64 and adjacent to theelectrode 57, and they are in contact withelectrodes 66 provided in theconnector 64. The measuringdevice 60 recognizes “information relating to the sensors” presented by thewiring pattern 58 by using theelectrodes 66. Examples of the “information relating to the sensors” include information indicating a calibration curve suited for thesensors 1, as described also inEmbodiment 1. - In this way, according to
Modification 2, the measuringdevice 60 can easily specify an appropriate calibration curve. Accordingly, withModification 2, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy and reduce the measurement time even further. - (Modification 3)
- Next,
Modification 3 of thesensor cartridge 50 according toEmbodiment 2 will be described with reference toFIG. 14 .FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 14 , as withModification 1 described with reference toFIG. 7 inEmbodiment 1, a pressingmember 41 for pressing thesensor 1 located at the head is provided within the casing 51 constituting thesensor cartridge 50. The rest of the configuration is the same as that ofModification 1 shown inFIG. 12 . - That is, as shown in
FIG. 14 , arecess 42 is provided in a region of thebottom surface 51 c on theopening 51 b side. Further, theelastic body 40 is placed in therecess 42. Theelastic body 40 presses the pressingmember 41 toward thesensor 1 by its elastic force. Accordingly, with the example inFIG. 14 as well, it is possible to establish a more solid connection between thesensor electrodes 5 and 6 (inFIG. 14 , thesensor electrode 5 is not shown) and theelectrodes 56, thus improving the connection stability, as withModification 1 shown inFIG. 7 according toEmbodiment 1. - (Modification 4)
- Next,
Modification 4 of thesensor cartridge 50 according toEmbodiment 2 will be described with reference toFIG. 15 .FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another example of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 2 of the invention. - In the example in
FIG. 15 ,internal electrodes 13 are provided as the electrodes for being connected to thesensor electrodes Modification 2 described with reference toFIG. 8 inEmbodiment 1. Further, theinternal electrodes 13 are connected tointernal wiring 55 via aconduction path 43. The rest of the configuration is the same as that ofModification 1 shown inFIG. 12 . - Since the
internal electrodes 13 in the example shown inFIG. 15 are configured to be elastically deformable as described inEmbodiment 1, theinternal electrodes 13 and thesensor electrodes 5 and 6 (inFIG. 15 , thesensor electrode 5 is not shown) are electrically connected in a reliable manner. Further, when thesensor 1 is delivered to theopening 51 b side and theinternal electrodes 13 come into contact with thesensor 1, theinternal electrodes 13 are deformed so as not to interfere with the movement of thesensor 1. Thereafter, theinternal electrodes 13 return by an elastic force toward theelectrodes electrodes - Next, a
sensor cartridge 70 and a measuringdevice 80 according toEmbodiment 3 of the invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 16 and 17 .FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sensor cartridge and a measuring device according toEmbodiment 3 of the invention.FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the sensor cartridge according toEmbodiment 3 of the invention. - As shown in
FIG. 16 , the measuringdevice 80 includes asensor cartridge 70, and adevice body 81 that holds thesensor cartridge 70, as with the measuring devices described inEmbodiments Embodiments casing 71 of thesensor cartridge 70 inEmbodiment 3 is configured such that a plurality ofsensors 1 can be arranged in a stacking direction. - Specifically, as shown in
FIG. 17 , aspace 76 in which a plurality ofsensors 1 stacked in the thickness direction can be housed is provided within thecasing 71. In addition, anelastic body 77 is provided between abottom surface 76 a of thespace 76 and thestacked sensors 1, and thesensors 1 are constantly pressed upward by theelastic body 77. - Provided above the
stacked sensors 1 is aslider 90 for delivering thesensors 1 one by one toward anopening 79 provided in thecasing 71. Theslider 90 moves in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as “horizontal direction”) perpendicular to the stacking direction using a groove 91 (seeFIG. 16 ) as its guide. Further, anelastic body 92 is provided on the side of theslider 90 that is opposite to theopening 79 side, and theslider 90 is constantly pressed toward theopening 79 by theelastic body 92. - Accordingly, when the user pulls the
slider 90 of thesensor cartridge 70 away from theopening 79, thesensor 1 located at the top is pushed by theelastic body 77 due to the absence of an obstacle above that sensor, and is moved to the space between theopening 79 and theslider 90. At that time, thesensor 1 is positioned by the tip of aprojection 71 a provided within thecasing 71 and the bottom of aprojection 90 a provided in theslider 90. - Then, when the user relaxes the force pulling the
slider 90, thesensor 1 is moved along with theslider 90 toward theopening 79 by the elastic force of theelastic body 92. At that time, if asensor 1 is already placed on theopening 79 side, the placedsensor 1 is pushed by thenext sensor 1 that has been moved, and is discharged to the outside of thesensor cartridge 70. - Since the movement of the
slider 90 toward theopening 79 is restricted by theprojection 71 a provided within thecasing 71, thesensor 1 that has been moved by theslider 90 is positioned at a location most suitable for the sample introduction. - In
Embodiment 3, the connection structure is configured in the same manner as the connection structure shown inFIGS. 1 and 4 inEmbodiment 1. That is, the connection structure includeswiring 72 provided on the outer surface of thecasing 71, internal electrodes 75 (seeFIG. 17 ) provided within thecasing 71, andwiring wiring 72 and theinternal electrodes 75. Further, theinternal electrodes 75 are configured in the same manner as theinternal electrodes 13 shown inFIG. 4 , and are placed so as to come into contact with thesensor electrodes 5 and 6 (inFIG. 17 , thesensor electrode 5 is not shown) of thesensor 1 located at the top. - The
casing 71 is also provided with awiring pattern 78 that is similar to thewiring pattern 17 shown inFIG. 1 . Thewiring pattern 78 includeswiring 78 a andwiring 78 b, and functions as an information presentation portion that presents information relating to the plurality ofsensors 1 that are housed in thecasing 71. - In this way, the connection structure in
Embodiment 3 is similar to that inEmbodiment 1. However, thedevice body 81 of the measuringdevice 80 inEmbodiment 3 holds thesensor cartridge 70 by a configuration different from that inEmbodiment 1. - As shown in
FIGS. 16 and 17 , inEmbodiment 3, thedevice body 81 holds thesensor cartridge 70 by sandwiching an end of thesensor cartridge 70. Specifically, thedevice body 81 includes a graspingportion 84 for sandwiching an end of thesensor cartridge 70. The graspingportion 84 includes afirst grasper 84 a that comes into contact with thesensor cartridge 70 from thewiring 72 side and asecond grasper 84 b that comes into contact with thesensor cartridge 70 from the opposite side. - As shown in
FIG. 17 , anelectrode 85 that comes into contact with thewiring 72 and anelectrode 86 that comes into contact with the wiring of thewiring pattern 78 are provided on the inner surface of thefirst grasper 84 a. Accordingly, using thedevice body 81 makes it possible to establish electrical connection between thesensor cartridge 70 and thedevice body 81 by simply fitting an end of thesensor cartridge 70 into the graspingportion 84. As with the measuringdevice 30 described inEmbodiment 1, the measuringdevice 80 performs measurement via theelectrode 85, and selects a calibration curve via theelectrode 86. - As described above, according to
Embodiment 3, it is possible, with thesensor cartridge 70, to electrically connect thesensor electrode 6 and theelectrode 85 of thedevice body 81 in a simple and reliable manner. Although not shown inFIG. 17 , thesensor cartridge 70 is also provided with a connection structure corresponding to thesensor electrode 5. Accordingly, it is also possible, with thesensor cartridge 70, to connect thesensor electrode 5 and theelectrode 85 of thedevice body 81 in a simple and reliable manner. - In addition to the above-described effects, all the effects described in
Embodiment 1 can be achieved also by usingEmbodiment 3. In other words, withEmbodiment 3, it is possible to simplify the structure of the measuringdevice 80 and reduce the manufacturing costs. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to perform the positioning of the electrodes each time measurement is carried out as in the conventional technology, it is possible to perform stable measurements. Furthermore, since thesensor cartridge 70 is held by thedevice body 81 of the measuringdevice 80, the handleability for the user is improved. In addition, since the contact area of thewiring 72 for connecting to the outside of thesensor cartridge 70 can be set independent of the size of thesensor 1, it is possible to easily connect thesensor cartridge 70 and theelectrode 85 of thedevice body 81 even if thesensor 1 is miniaturized. - Although the
casing 71 of thesensor cartridge 70 is configured to allow a sample to be introduced to the sensor located at the top inEmbodiment 3, the configuration is not limited thereto and thecasing 71 may be configured to allow a sample to be introduced to thesensor 1 located at the bottom. In this case, theinternal electrodes 75 come into contact with thesensor electrodes sensor 1 located at the bottom. InEmbodiment 3, “stacking direction” refers to a direction that coincides with the thickness direction of thesubstrate 2 constituting the sensor 1 (seeFIGS. 2A and 2B ). - Furthermore, although the connection structure of the
sensor cartridge 70 includes thewiring casing 71 and thewiring 74 provided on the inner surface of thecasing 71 in the example shown inFIGS. 16 and 17 , the connection structure inEmbodiment 3 is not limited thereto. For example, the connection structure of thesensor cartridge 70 may be configured such that the wiring is embedded within thecasing 71 and is not exposed to the outside of thecasing 71, as with the connection structures shown inFIGS. 11 to 15 inEmbodiment 2. - In the above case, a connector that can be inserted into the casing may be provided at a location between the
first grasper 84 a and thesecond grasper 84 b in thedevice body 81. For example, theconnector 64 shown inFIGS. 10 and 11 can be used as the connector. The device body shown inFIGS. 16 and 17 can be used as thedevice body 81 as long as an electrode connected to the wiring embedded within thecasing 71 is provided on the outside of thecasing 71. - Although the
sensor 1 shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B is used as the sensor inEmbodiments 1 to 3 described above, the sensor is not limited thereto. Another example of the sensor is a sensor whose sample inlet is provided on top of the sensor. In the case of using such a sensor, the sensor is placed in the casing of the sensor cartridge without part of the sensor being exposed. In that case, for example, an opening is provided in the top surface of the casing such that a sample can be dropped down to the sample inlet from above. - Although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by a person skilled in the art may be made to the configuration and the details of the present invention within the scope of the invention.
- According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the structure of the measuring device from becoming complex and suppress a reduction in stability of the measurement, while improving the handleability of sensors such as biosensors. The present invention is useful in the fields of sensor cartridges for supplying sensors such as biosensors, and of measuring devices using such sensor cartridges.
Claims (15)
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EP (1) | EP2315012B1 (en) |
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KR20110046297A (en) | 2011-05-04 |
US9034158B2 (en) | 2015-05-19 |
EP2315012B1 (en) | 2015-02-18 |
KR101689890B1 (en) | 2016-12-26 |
CN102053110A (en) | 2011-05-11 |
JP5635364B2 (en) | 2014-12-03 |
EP2315012A2 (en) | 2011-04-27 |
CN102053110B (en) | 2015-09-30 |
JP2011117946A (en) | 2011-06-16 |
EP2315012A3 (en) | 2011-06-08 |
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